Here comes the Great Ninja Yuffie!
by PKAquaFlame
Summary: A Naruto crossoverish fic. What happens if Yuffie landed in Konoha after her home's destroyed? Possible Yuffiex?
1. Yuffie's Arrival: Welcome to Konoha!

OK, I got this idea a while back. I pretty much thought, 'what if Yuffie landed in Konoha instead of Traverse Town when the Heartless attacked her world?' So Yuffie is pretty much a little kid in this chapter. So...here you go, hope you like it. This is my first Naruto fic, so be nice...please?

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Maybe a made up here and there, but I'll try and keep them to a minimum. And I apologize in advance if anyone's OOC. It's pretty much my second non cartoon crossover fic, so...yeah. And this'll probably follow the anime/manga plot, maybe up to a certain point. You've been warned.

On with the fic!

* * *

When she woke up, the first thing she saw was orange. 

An orange sky, to be exact, with yellow clouds here and there.

She got up and dusted herself off. She looked around. It looked like a city: houses far as the eye can see.

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. _Where the heck am I? I remember those stupid shadows...Oh gawd what about my parents?! _she thought with a frown. She then noticed that there was a huge crowd of adults. _Maybe I can ask them where I am,_ she thought, walking towards the crowd.

"Hey, comin' through!" Yuffie quietly snapped, squeezing through the crowd. So far, no good: Everytime she tried asking someone where she was, they only gave her either a 'WTF' look or a 'You're joking, right?' look. She then saw a mess of blonde hair. It was a kid, about her age, whom the adults were facing. He had his hand to his face.

_I don't get it. Why are they so focused on one kid? Is he their idol or somethin'? _she thought. She felt a little sorry for him when she heard the insults thrown at him.

"Monster!"

"Go away!"

They _hated_ him. And the kid was _crying_. Yuffie didn't understand: Why would they call a kid a monster? Why would anyone?

Yuffie took a few cautious steps towards the boy when a rough hand grabbed her arm. "Hey! Don't get too close to him! He's a monster!" the adult snapped. Yuffie glared at the man.

"If anything, _you_ and your friends are the monsters! You're picking on a little kid! Gawd, you'd think you'd pick on someone your own size!" she snapped. The man let go of her arm in shock and she ran off.

When she got to a reasonable distance, she sat on a nearby swing and sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought...

"Hey, that's my swing!"

It was the blonde haired kid again. He was sad, because the adults were picking on them, and angry, because, well...Yuffie took his swing.

"_Your_ swing? Sorry, kid. I don't see your name on it." she teased. The boy's face flared up; he was PO'd now. "C'mon! Those adults teased me again and I always go on this swing!" he complained.

"You mean they tease you all the time??" Yuffie asked skeptically. He nodded

"Yep. It's even worse on my birthday. I don't know why they do it, they just do." he replied sadly.

A couple of minutes of silence. Then she sighed. _I must be going soft, _she decided, as she got off the swing. The boy grinned and got on.

"Thanks! Wait a minute," he said, trying to remember something. "You're that girl who told one of the adults off, right?" he asked. Yuffie nodded.

"Yep! You're just a kid, _someone_ had to stand up to them." she replied.

What happened next was something she did not expect: the boy hugged her. "Thank you! You're the first one to tell them off!I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm gonna be Hokage!" he said, grinning.

Yuffie grinned as he let go. "I'm Kisaragi Yuffie!" she replied.

"Never seen you before. You new to Konoha?" Naruto asked.

"Konoha? And what you said earlier, about Hokage...What's that?"

Naruto blinked. "You _must_ be new. Konoha's the town's name. It's short for Konohakagure. And the Hokage's the town's top shinobi!" he said, grinning.

"Shinobi, as in...ninja?"

"Yeah! You know what a ninja is?" he asked. Yuffie nodded. "Yeah! I used to play ninja all the time in the city I'm from!"

"Where're you from?" he asked. "Hollow Bastion." she replied. Naruto gave her a confused look.

"Where?" he asked.

"Never heard of it?" Yuffie asked.

"Nope."

"Oh..."

Yuffie looked like she was going to cry. Here she was, in a foreign town (she'd go so far as to say world), and nobody's heard of Hollow Bastion!

Naruto noticed Yuffie's scrunched up face. "H-Hey! Don't cry! Um...Hey! You like ramen?" he asked. Yuffie gave him a questioning look.

"What's ramen?" she asked. Naruto gave her a flabbergasted look. "You've never had ramen?!" he asked skeptically. Yuffie shook her head.

"C'mon! I've got a bunch of instant ramen at my place. It's the greatest food in the world. Believe it!" he exclaimed, jumping out of the swing and running off.

_Well, I gotta have some start in here, _Yuffie decided as she followed him. _Look out, Konoha! Here comes the great ninja Yuffie!_

* * *

What'd you think? I might put in a few pairings here and there, too. Depends on a lot of things. Review, please! 


	2. Eight Years Later

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Maybe a made up here and there, but I'll try to keep them to a minimum.

Note: Yuffie's outfit is pretty much the one she had in KH1. So you know.

On with the fic!

* * *

Eight years later... 

**_"NARUTO! YUFFIE! _****_GET_****_ BACK HERE!!"_**

The said prankster ninja students were running as if all of hell was freezing over, with two Chuunin running after them. The two pranksters were laughing hysterically. Yuffie was holding a bucket of green paint, while Naruto was holding a bucket with red paint. And what was their latest prank, you ask? They painted on the faces of the Hokage monument.

"Just wait until we catch you!" One Chuunin yelled.

"You're gonna regret it then!" the other snapped.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the day after Yuffie met Naruto, she got enrolled to the ninja school and got an apartment next to Naruto's. OK, back to the present.

"Geez, Naru! I think we overdid it this time!" Yuffie laughed.

"You_ **THINK?!"** _the Chuunin yelled.

"Run faster, Yuf! They're gaining!" Naruto exclaimed.

Minutes later, the two Chuunin lost track of the prankster duo. The Chuunin looked around and jumped off in different directions. Naruto and Yuffie then came out of their hiding places. Naruto used a drape with wood patterns to blend in with the fence, and Yuffie hid behind the nearby telephone pole. The two sniggered.

"What are you two doing?!" a voice snapped.

The two students froze: They knew that voice anywhere.

"Um...Hi, Iruka-sensei. What a surprise!" Yuffie said as she and Naruto turned around, facing their teacher with a nervous grin.

**Time skip-a half hour later...**

"Why do you two have to fool around now of all times?! Naruto, you failed the final exam three times, and Yuffie failed twice!" Iruka snapped at the duo. They were tied together using a rope.

(A/N: I kinda think that Yuffie would be a few months younger than Naruto. Don't ask me why, I just do.)

"Sir, yes sir!" the two students said in unison, causing an anime anger mark to appear on Iruka's forehead.

"OK, smart alecks. Because of your screwups, today we'll be reviewing the art of transformation! All you have to do is conjure up an image of me!" he snapped, causing the entire class to groan.

"This is all your and Yuffie's fault, Naruto," a student said to Naruto.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto said as Iruka called his name.

_Here goes nothing,_ he thought as he did the hand signs. "Transform!" he yelled...

But it wasn't Iruka he had transformed into.

It was a sexy, nude, female version of Naruto himself. She winked flirtingly at Iruka as Yuffie tried to hold in her laughter.

Iruka's face grew pale, and then he was knocked back by the force of his nosebleed. Naruto changed back and started hysterically laughing. Yuffie couldn't hold it for long and laughed along with him.

"That was effin' brilliant, Naru! Whaddo you call that trick?" Yuffie said.

"I call it the Ninja Centerfold!" Naruto declared.

"CUT THE CHEAP TRICKS!! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!!!" Iruka yelled at Naruto.

* * *

The two pranksters had to clean up the Hokage monument of the paint that they had put on it. 

"Crap," Naruto muttered.

"Double crap," Yuffie added.

"You two aren't leaving this place until every last drop of paint is gone!" Iruka scolded. Yuffie glared at him.

"Yeah, so what?! Haven't you forgotten that there isn't anyone waiting for us?!" she snapped, getting back to scrubbing the paint.

Iruka's face softened at her comment; he hadn't realized up until then that the three were on the same boat.

"Naruto, Yuffie...When you two are done with this, do you want to get some ramen? My treat," he said to the two students. The two grinned.

"YEAH, BABY! TALK ABOUT MOTIVATION!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Just remember: You don't get out until every last drop of paint is gone!" Iruka reminded them.

"You got it, boss!" Yuffie grinned.

* * *

The three were sitting at Ichiraiku's about two hours later. Yuffie was slurping on miso ramen, while Naruto had pork. 

"You guys...Why did you put paint on the Hokage monumental? You do know who the Hokage is, right?" Iruka asked as he got his ramen.

"Of course we do! To become the Hokage, you have to be the best shinobi in the village," Naruto replied.

"And it was the fourth who found a way to take out the Kyuubi," Yuffie added with a serious face on.

"OK, so...why?!" Iruka asked.

"Because I'm gonna top them all! I'll become a Hokage like none this village has ever seen before! Then the villagers will respect my existence, and not treat me like dirt!" Naruto replied.

"And the first thing he's gonna do is declare a National Ramen Day. Just watch," Yuffie snickered.

"Hey, I'm serious, Yuffie! But that's not a bad idea." Naruto replied.

Iruka just started at Naruto for a minute: Apparently Yuffie was the only one he told about his Hokage dream until now.

"Oh, yeah...Can you do us a favor, Sensei?" Naruto asked.

"What? More ramen?" Iruka guessed.

"Not that. It's...Can we see your headband? Pleeease?" Yuffie asked. Iruka blinked.

"Oh, this? No way. You'd have to pass the final exam to get one. Sorry!" he replied.

"What a rip-off!" Naruto fumed.

"Oi! More miso over here!" Yuffie ordered.

"Get me some barbecue, too!" Naruto added.

* * *

The next day... 

"Looking' forward to this, Naru?" Yuffie asked as they walked into the classroom.

"I'll pass! Believe it! Just as long as it's not..." Naruto started.

"OK, class. For the finals you each have to successfully perform a doppelganger jutsu. Wait until your name is called, then go next door." Iruka instructed.

_Doppelgangers?! Why'd it have to be doppelgangers?! That's my worst technique! _Naruto thought as he slumped in his chair.

"First up, Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka read from the clipboard. Naruto cringed as he got up and walked towards the door.

"Good luck, Naru!" Yuffie said. Naruto gave her a thumbs up and went out the door.

**Time skip- after the exam...**

Naruto was sitting dejectedly on the swing. He had failed the graduation exam again.

"Hey, Naru!" Yuffie called when she danced out the door. She stopped when she reached Naruto. He noticed the headband around her forehead.

"You graduated?" he asked. Yuffie nodded, causing Naruto to frown even more.

"You failed again? Sorry to hear that, Naru," she said, frowning.

"There. That's him. The only one who didn't pass," One of their classmate's mother said.

"Serves him right. I can't imagine what would happen if they made _him_ a ninja. I still can't get why that Kisaragi kid would hang out with him," another mother sneered.

"It's because she doesn't know what he-" the first one started when Yuffie glared at the two, shutting them up.

"Those two are gonna get their hair dyed blue and green one of these days," Yuffie said, still glaring at them.

"Excuse me, Naruto?" a voice asked him. The two pranksters turned around to see Mizuki.

"Oh, hey, Mizuki-sensei," Yuffie greeted. Mizuki nodded in her direction.

"Hello, Yuffie. Congratulations on passing the test. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Naruto alone," Mizuki replied.

"Um...sure. See you later, Naruto," Yuffie said, walking towards her apartment.

* * *

**Later that night...**

Yuffie was about to get ready for bed when she heard the group of Jounin near her apartment.

"That Naruto kid's gone too far!"

"We should've killed him when we got the chance!"

Yuffie's eyes widened. What had Naruto gotten him into _now?_ She crept out of her apartment and took off.

**A half hour later...**

Yuffie eventually found Naruto and Iruka near a shack. Naruto had a huge scroll on his back and Iruka looked really pissed.

"Hey, Naru!" Yuffie called. "What're you doing out so late?!"

"Mizuki-sensei told me about this scroll. He said if I show Iruka-sensei that I learned a technique from this scroll, he'd have to let me graduate!" Naruto replied.

Iruka blanched; he had _not_ expected that turn of events. He noticed something and pushed Naruto aside. It was a good thing he did, too: a dozen kunai knives flew towards him and about five of them hit Iruka.

"I'm impressed you knew where to find him, Iruka. And I should have realized you'd be involved somehow, Yuffie," Mizuki said as he appeared on a tree branch.

"What are you doing, Mizuki?!" Iruka snapped at him. Mizuki ignored him, turning his focus on Naruto.

"Naruto, give me the scroll," he said coldly. Naruto's knees became weak and he fell.

"Hey! What the hell's going on around here?! I thought you were the good guy!" Yuffie snapped.

"Naruto, don't give him the scroll! He only wants it for himself! If he gets it, he'll use it to destroy the village!" Iruka yelled.

"You're just saying that because you don't want him to have the scroll, isn't that right, Iruka?" Mizuki snapped.

"Naruto, listen to Iruka-sensei! Mizuki's got a crazy look in his eyes, and when that happens it can't be good!" Yuffie pointed out.

"Stop lying, Mizuki!" Iruka snapped. Mizuki chuckled at that.

"Look who's talking, Iruka," he replied, causing Iruka's eyes to widen.

"No, Mizuki! Don't tell them!" Iruka snapped, knowing that if Mizuki was going to tell Naruto without a weapon in his hand, Yuffie was going to know, too.

"You do know the story of the Nine-Tailed Fox that destroyed our village twelve years ago, don't you?" Mizuki asked. Yuffie and Naruto nodded; it was always the first lesson in the Academy.

"Since then, the adults of the village were bound by the strictest decree. So everyone knows about it except you and the other kids your age. Of course Iruka knows about it; why else would he want me to shut up right now?" Mizuki replied.

"All right, spit it out! What's this special decree of yours?!" Yuffie snapped.

"All right, Yuffie, I'll tell...But I won't be held responsible if Naruto reacts negatively," Mizuki replied.

"DON'T TELL THEM! You know it's forbidden!" Iruka snapped.

"Uzumaki Naruto...The decree states that nobody must tell you that the Kyuubi's spirit lives inside you!" Mizuki replied. Naruto and Yuffie's eyes widened considerably at this.

"Wh-What? You gotta be lying! I mean, the Nine-Tailed Fox? In me? C'mon!" Naruto stammered.

"It's true. The monster that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your body. So technically speaking, you are the Nine-Tailed Fox! Everyone's been hiding this secret behind your back! This is the reason why everyone taunted you and denied your very existence!" Mizuki continued.

Naruto squinted his eyes at this and everyone could feel the amount of chakra that surrounded him.

"Naruto..." Yuffie started.

"That's right, let your anger grow. You're facing the fact that you will never be accepted in this village! Even Iruka hates your guts, and I'm sure Yuffie hates you now because of this new information handed to her!" Mizuki sneered, ready to throw the shuriken on his back.

"You little...Now you've gone too far!" Yuffie snapped. Mizuki was the one who didn't understand. How could Yuffie hate a fellow orphan? On top of that, how could she hate her first friend since she came to Konoha?

"DIE, NARUTO!" Mizuki yelled, throwing the shuriken at him. It happened before anyone knew what happened; Iruka shielded Naruto from the shuriken. The shuriken dug into his back.

"W-Why?" Naruto asked. He hadn't expected this to happen.

"B-Because we're the same," Iruka replied, causing Naruto and Yuffie's eyes to widen. They were the same? How?

"When my parents were killed," Iruka explained, "I was alone. Nobody seemed to care for me. They hardly had any time to even glance my way. It was like they had forgotten about me. I became the class clown, and my grades suffered because of it."

The story hit a soft spot in both Naruto and Yuffie: At a first glance, you would think that Iruka was a serious person, with a happy childhood. They never expected to relate to their teacher like this. But they knew there was more to his story than that.

"I just wanted everyone to know my name and to notice and remember me. My schoolwork wasn't enough to make them notice me, so I settled with doing insane things. I even painted on the school walls! And I had to pay for it. It hurt so much," Iruka continued.

Naruto felt a waterdrop on his cheek. It wasn't raining, so that meant...Iruka was crying?

"I get it now. That's how you've felt all your life. You were teased and shunned, and it hurts inside. I could've been there for you like Yuffie has. I let you down, and I'm so sorry. Because nobody should have to suffer and be alone like that," Iruka finished.

"How sweet, Iruka. Naruto, don't listen to him or that girl. You know Iruka hates you and will stop at nothing to get the scroll from you! Don't forget who killed his parents," Mizuki sneered.

Naruto was confused. Iruka's story was so much like his own, he almost cried. But Mizuki told him the truth about the Kyuubi. So he did what every other confused twelve-year-old would do.

He ran.

"Naruto!" Yuffie exclaimed. Mizuki jumped down with a smirk.

"You know, Yuffie, he's as stubborn as a mule. You saw that look in his eyes, didn't you? Those were the eyes of the demon fox!" he said to her.

"Funny, I thought I saw confusion and sadness in them!" Yuffie snapped. Iruka took the shuriken in his back.

"Naruto's not like that!" he snapped, throwing it at Mizuki. He dodged and the shuriken hit a tree.

"After I get the scroll from Naruto and finish him off, I'll go after you two next," he said, jumping off.

"Don't count on it," Yuffie said, chasing after him.

"Yuffie!" Iruka yelled after her, following.

* * *

Yuffie looked around until she saw Naruto hiding behind a tree. 

"Hey, Naru!" she called. Naruto ignored her.

"Look, Naruto. I know that what Mizuki said might be true, but if he thinks it's gonna effect our friendship, he's dead wrong. And you must be really easily influenced if you believe that." she said, sitting next to him.

"That might be true, but what about Iruka-" Naruto started when Yuffie heard something. She covered Naruto's hand with her hand, shushing him.

"You're a bigger fool, than I thought, Iruka! This is the little freak that killed your parents! The two of us are the same; if he uses that scroll, he can use his power and destroy the village! That's how creatures like him are. Even you can agree." Mizuki sneered.

"Maybe you're right." Iruka said.

Naruto felt a sharp pang through his being. _So it's true. Iruka-sensei really does hate me, doesn't he?_ He thought.

"Maybe that is how creatures like the Kyuubi are. But it's not what Naruto's like. He tries something with his whole heart put into it, but sometimes he's awkward, clumsy...he sometimes slips up. He's been shunned for what he is, true. But it's given him empathy. He's experience pain no other human or monster has experienced. He's not your demon fox anymore. He's a citizen of the village of Konohakagure...Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka replied.

Yuffie heard a sniffle next to her. She turned around and saw that Naruto was crying. He had snot running down from his nose and everything! In all her years of knowing him, Yuffie had never seen her best friend cry.

"You really believe that crap? I was going to save you and Yuffie for after I had killed Naruto, but it seems you just can't wait to die!" Mizuki snapped, getting out his last shuriken and readying to throw it at him.

It happened so fast Iruka didn't know what was happening. Naruto had tackled Mizuki as Yuffie threw a kunai knife his way. This caused the shuriken to impale a tree, and it gave Mizuki a scratch on the cheek.

"If you so much as lay a finger on Iruka-sensei or any of my friends...I'll kill you!" Naruto growled.

"Such big words from a little brat! I can kill you with a single punch!" Mizuki snapped. Naruto used a hand signal.

"Give me your best shot, teme," he said, "I'll give it back to you a thousand fold!

"All right then! Show us what you can do, Kyuubi!" Mizuki yelled.

**_"Art of the Doppelganger: Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_**

If there was a thump to be heard, it would've been Yuffie, Iruka, and Mizuki's jaws dropping at the same time.

In a minute, there were about a thousand Narutos surrounding them. Mizuki looked around, flabbergasted.

_They're not illusions,_ Yuffie thought. _They're actual flesh and blood bodies!_

_I wouldn't be surprised if he ever did top any Hokage there's ever been, _Iruka thought as the Naruto clones proceeded to beat Mizuki into a pulp.

* * *

After that, Mizuki was a bloody pulp and Naruto was exhausted. Yuffie was grinning at Naruto and Iruka was just plain proud of him. 

"Heheheh...I think I got carried away," Naruto said, referring to the bloodied Mizuki.

"You think we care? He was a big fat jerk, anyway!" Yuffie replied.

"You OK, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, I think I'll live. Naruto, can you come over here and close your eyes? I want to give you something." Iruka said.

Naruto walked towards his sensei until he was about two feet away from him and closed his eyes. Iruka untied his headband, removed Naruto's goggles, and replaced them with the headband. It was all Yuffie could do and more not to squeal.

"OK, you can open them now." Iruka told Naruto. He opened his eyes and saw the headband-less Iruka holding his goggles. His hand flew up to his forehead and felt the leaf engraved on the headband.

"Congrats, Naruto. You graduate!" Iruka declared. "To celebrate, I'll take you guys out to ramen tonight!"

A few minutes of silence. Then Naruto suddenly glomped his sensei. "Woohoo!" he cheered.

"Hey, Naruto! That hurts!" Iruka complained. Feeling left out, Yuffie decided to glomp the two.

"Yay, you graduated, Naru!" she cheered.

"Yuffie!" Iruka complained again. The two snickered.

"Look out, Konohakagure! Here comes the Great Ninja Yuffie for real!"

"And here comes the Future Hokage!"

* * *

What'd you think? Please review! 


	3. Of Squads and Senseis!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Maybe a made up here and there, but I'll try to keep them to a minimum. I'm gonna introduce two of them in this chapter. Just a heads up.

On with the fic!

* * *

Yuffie sleepily got out of bed. After the entire scroll incident, she went to her apartment, went straight to bed and fell asleep for about six hours straight.She checked the nearby alarm clock. It read 3:06. It took her a few minutes to process this information. _Crap! The orientation starts at 3:10! _She got out of bed, changed into her clean clothes, got breakfast and ran out the door.

* * *

When Yuffie entered the classroom, she immediately saw Naruto laughing to himself. 

"Hey, Naru!" she greeted, sitting behind him.

"Hi, Yuf! Why didn't I see you this morning?" Naruto asked. "I overslept, and I just woke up." Yuffie replied. Naruto shrugged.

"Excuse me, may I pass?"

The two looked to see their classmate Sakura. Naruto blushed. It was obvious to everyone that he had a crush on her. _Sakura wants to sit with me! _he cheered in his mind.

"NARUTO, MOVE IT! I'M TRYING TO GET PAST YOU!" Sakura snapped at him. The two looked to their left and saw the class heartthrob. Naruto's face scrunched to that of envy. It also was no secret that Naruto hated Sasuke.

Yuffie, however, didn't feel either one of those things for Sasuke. He was handsome, that she would admit, but she just didn't have a crush on him. Simple as that.

Sakura jumped over Naruto and Yuffie and smiled at Sasuke. "Hiya, Sasuke-kuun! Is this seat taken?" she asked sweetly. Even though he didn't reply, she sat in the seat next to him anyway.

_She looks like she's in total ecstacy!_ Naruto complained in his mind.

In a flash, Naruto was right in front of Sasuke, face to face. Everyone could almost see the static between them.

"Naruto, get away from Sasuke-kun!" Sakura snapped.

_This should be interesting, _Yuffie thought as she watched the scene.

"Hit him, Sasuke-kun!" his fangirls cheered. Sasuke was about to do just that when someone bumped Naruto forward, putting the two in a rather...interesting position.

In a liplock.

The fangirls freaked out, saying something about how they were supposed to be Sasuke's first kiss. The only three girls _not_ complaining about this were Yuffie, Hinata, and Hikari. Hinata liked Naruto, and Hikari and Yuffie were laughing, along with the rest of the boys.

(A/N: Hikari's one of my OC's. She and her twin brother Hikaru are gonna be in this. You'll see why in a sec.)

The two separated, gagging and coughing.

"Naruto, you piece of crap, I'm going to kill you!" Sasuke said between gags.

"AUGH! Sasuke spit! My mouth is ruined!" Naruto said when he felt something. _Bloodlust!_

He turned to see the outraged fangirls.

"U-Um...It was a mistake! I swear!" Naruto stammered.

"Naruto...You make me sick!" Sakura snapped.

* * *

"From this day forward, you aren't students of ninjutsu anymore. You are full-fledged Genin," Iruka said minutes later. 

Naruto was a bloody pulp from the accidental liplock. They even gave him a black eye. Yuffie was still snickering from that.

"Although you graduated from the Academy, the training doesn't end here. Which is why we've paired you up into teams of four. We would put you in groups of three, like we usually do, but seeing as we had a late graduation," he said, glancing at Naruto, "We've put these groups together in fours. These groups are based on ability alone." This last declaration caused the students to groan.

(A/N: In the manga, there were twenty-seven students. In this fic, I added Yuffie, making it twenty-eight, so...yeah.)

_Four-man cells? Sounds like three too many..._ Sasuke thought.

_They're going to pair me up with Sasuke! I just know it! _Sakura thought determinedly.

_As long as I get Sakura and Yuf as partners I'll take anyone else...Except for Sasuke-teme. _Naruto thought.

_Based on ability alone?! Gawd! _Yuffie thought.

* * *

"OK, team four! Uzumaki Naruto...Kisaragi Yuffie..." 

Yuffie and Naruto high-fived. The rest of the class pitied whoever had them for teammates.

"...Haruno Sakura..."

Naruto cheered because his crush and his best friend were on his team, Sakura slumped because Yuffie_ and_ Naruto were on her team, and Yuffie slumped because she had Sakura as a teammate. Yuffie didn't hate Sakura, but she didn't like her, either. Sakura hated Yuffie, however. It was simply because Yuffie expressed her opinion that black was a better hair color for her than pink.

"And Uchiha Sasuke!"

Naruto slumped because he had Sasuke on his team, Sakura cheered for the very same reason, Yuffie was rolled her eyes because of Sakura's reaction, Sasuke didn't react much, and the rest of the fangirls slumped in their chairs.

* * *

"Next, team five! Hyuuga Hinata...Aburame Shino...Inuzuka Kiba..." 

Hikari, who was sitting next to Hinata, whispered, "You're on a team with Inu-baka and Bug boy? Inu-baka's a complete jerk. I pity you."

"...And Nosada Hikari!"

Hikari froze when her name was mentioned.

"Did you say something about pitying Hinata?" Kiba asked with a snigger.

"...Shut up, Inu-baka." Hikari snapped.

* * *

"What exactly do you see in Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked Ino. 

"He can't be that special." Hikaru added.

"You two are really clueless, you know that?" Ino asked. Shikamaru frowned.

"Of course we're clueless, we're not girls." he said. Ino smirked at this.

"You two are so full of it. Jealousy's a horrible thing. I'd hate to be in your squad." Ino said to both boys.

"Team seven! Yamanaka Ino...Nara Shikamaru...Nosada Hikaru..."

"What?!" Ino asked. Hikaru laughed.

"What was that you said about hating to be in our squad?" he teased.

"S-Shut up, Nosada!" Ino snapped.

"...And Akimichi Choji!" Iruka announced.

Hikaru tried to stifle his laughter as Ino slumped in her chair.

_Food boy too?! I'm doomed!_ Ino thought.

* * *

"And that's the squads! Any questions?" Iruka asked. 

"Why does a great ninja like me have to be saddled with a loser like Sasuke?!" Naruto snapped.

"And why am I stuck with Kisaragi?!" Sakura snapped, even more pissed off than Naruto, if it were possible.

Iruka blinked at the questions and sighed.

"Naruto, out of the twenty-wight of you, Sasuke had the best scores. You would be the bottom of the class. We put you two in to create a balanced team." Iruka explained to Naruto, making the class laugh.

"And Sakura," Iruka continued, "while you have some of the best written grades, Yuffie got some of the best grades in weapon-throwing. And that's why you two are together."

"Just don't slow me down, idiot." Sasuke said, causing Naruto to snap.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"Can't you hear?"

"Naruto, knock it off!"

"Oooh! I love a good fight!"

Iruka smiled as he watched the scene unfold. _They'll be a good team...If they don't kill each other._

"I'll introduce you to your Jounin senseis this afternoon. Until then, you're dismissed!"

* * *

"Hey, Yuf. Too bad we can't be on the same team." Hikari said when they walked out. 

The Nosada twins had befriended Yuffie when she needed someone to bug other than Naruto.

"Yeah, I know. But you with Inuzuka. Kami-sama help your poor unfortunate sensei." Yuffie replied.

"No fair! You're the only one with the good end of the team deal, Yuf!" Hikaru whined. "I got that loudmouth Ino for a classmate!"

"Oh, yeah? Try having to be teammates with Sasuke _and_ one of his fangirls." Yuffie said with a shudder.

"Speaking of which, we might as well go with our separate teammates. You know, to get to know them better." Hikaru suggested. The two girls nodded and went on their way.

* * *

"Geez, where's Naru? Whenever you need to talk with him, you can never find the squirt." Yuffie grumbled. 

"Hey, Kisaragi!"

Yuffie turned around to see Sakura.

"What is it, Sakura?" Yuffie asked. Sakura huffed.

"Ok, I'll make this breif," she said, "Don't annoy us while we're training! Especially not Sasuke-kun!"

Yuffie sighed.

"Y'know, Saku," she said, "one of these days, your little fangirlism is going to come back and bite you in the ass."

Sakura was shocked at that, so Yuffie continued, "But don't worry, I won't bother you guys when you're training. Kisaragi's honor!"

"That's the kind of honor I'm scared of." Sakura replied as Yuffie walked away.

* * *

Yuffie sat on a tree branch and started to eat some bento. _Wonder how this'll turn out? The class heartthrob, a fangirl, his rival, and a non-fangirl in the same team. But I shouldn't worry! I will make it through in the end, because I am the Great Ninja-_

"Hey, Kisaragi."

She looked down from her position in the branch. It was...Sasuke?

"Yo, Uchiha. If you're gonna ask me if I'm a fangirl, the answer is no." Yuffie said, sighing.

"Don't get in my way."

Yuffie blinked at that. "What?" she asked.

"Can't you hear, Kisaragi?" he asked, walking away.

_Grrr! Naruto was right! He is an emo jerk! _Yuffie thought, obtaining an anime anger mark.

* * *

An hour lateer, everyone had met their Jounin...except for team four. 

"He's laaaate! I'm booooored!" Yuffie whined.

"Yeah! All the other teams went with their senseis long ago! And Iruka-sensei already went hime!" Naruto added.

"That isn't important." Sakura said when Naruto got a devilish idea. He got a chair and an eraser. He steadied himself on the chair and put the eraser on the gap in the open door.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

Yuffie saw what was going on and snickered.

"Great going, Naru! That'll teach him to be late!" she exclaimed.

"You're going to get in trouble." Sakura said to Naruto.

"Yeah, and besides," Sasuke said, "He's a Jounin. He's not going to fall for something like that."

"Yeah, Naruto! You're such an idiot!" Sakura snapped. Then the door opened...

And the eraser fell on a mess of gray hair.

Naruto and Yuffie started laughing and chanting, "He fell for it! He fell for it!"

"Sorry, sensei! I tried to warn him..." Sakura started when their sensei picked up the eraser and appeared to be thoughtful.

"Hmmm...Based on the past few moments, my first impression of you guys is...I hate you!" he said.

_WHAT?!_

_

* * *

_

"OK, let's start by telling each other about yourselves. Like what your hobbies are, your dislikes, your dreams...That stuff." Their sensei said. They were out in a balcony overlooking the village.

"Hey, hey! Why don't you start?" Naruto asked. their sensei blinked.

"Me?" he asked. "I'm Hatake Kakashi. I don't feel like telling you abut what my likes and dislikes are. My dreams are none of your beeswax, and I have a lot of hobbies."

"Hey," Sakura said, "he said a lot, but all we learned was his name."

"OK, now you guys go. Starting with you." Kakashi said, pointing at Naruto.

"Me, right?! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! What I like is cup ramen, and when Iruka-sensei treats me to ramen at Ichiraku's. What I hate is the three minute wait when you put the hot water...And my dream is to become even greater then all the Hokage put together! Then people will stop treating me like dirt! And my hobbies? Pranks, pratical jokes, and comparing cup ramen, I guess." Naruto said.

_Well, hasn't he turned out to be interesting,_ Kakashi thought. "Ok, your turn." he said, pointing at Sasuke.

"I am Uchiha Sasuke," he introduced, "There aren't a lot of things I like, but that doesn't matter, seeing as there are many things that I hate. And dreams...That's just a word. What I have is a determination. To restore my clan...And to kill a certain someone."

_Hope it's not me! _Naruto thought.

_He is so cool!_ Sakura thought.

Yuffie, for once, was struck speechless. This kid was wrapped up in revenge already, and only_ just_ became a ninja?

_I knew it..._Kakashi thought. "OK, you. The young lady in red." he said, pointing at Sakura.

"I am Haruno Sakura," she started, "What I like is...Well, actually, it's a boy. And that boy is..." she trailed off, glancing at Sasuke. "My hobbies are...Um...Let's go to my dream..." she said. She then did a fangirl squeal. "And I hate Naruto and Kisaragi!" Yuffie was unaffected by this, while Naruto was devastated.

_It seems young girls are more interested in love than ninjutsu..._Kakashi thought. "OK, last one!

"Hiya! I'm the Great Ninja Kisaragi Yuffie! What I like is eating bento, dango, and ramen, and pulling pranks on people. What I hate is boring, serious people who can't learn to have a little fun! My dream is...Well...I never really thought about my dream. And my hobbies are pulling pranks on people and just plain having fun." Yuffie introduced.

_I stand corrected. This young lady is more interested in having fun,_ Kakashi thought.

* * *

"Ok, we start with survival training." Kakashi said after introductions were long behind them. 

"What? But we did that all the time at school. Why is this any different?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi started to chuckle at this.

"OI! Why're you laughing?! Spill it!" Yuffie snapped.

"I'm just imaging the surprised looks on your faces when I tell you." Kakashi replied. The four braced themselves for the news.

"Out of the twenty-eight graduates, only twelve will actually become Genin," he said, "The others will be sent back for more training. In other words...You have a good chance of being sent back to the academy."

Naruto and Yuffie had the following expressions: O.O

Sakura had this one: -.-

Sasuke's didn't change a bit, but his eyes did widen a fraction.

"See? Told you you'd be surprised!" Kakashi explained.

"WHAT?! NO WAY! We went thought all that training for what?! What was the final exam for?!" Naruto snapped.

"It just picks out who's Genin material." Kakashi replied.

"WHAT?!" Yuffie and Naruto screamed in unison.

"I'll determine weither you pass or fail tomorrow at the training grounds.Being your equipment and meet me there at 5 A.M!" their sensei ordered.

_I will NOT be intimidated! I gotta make him-make everyone-recognize my abilities!_ Naruto thought.

_If I fail, Sasuke-kun and I will be parted forever...This is like a test for my love! _Sakura thought.

Sasuke clenched his fists as Yuffie gulped.

"Meeting over. And one more thing: Don't eat breakfast tomorrow...Unless you like throwing up." Kakashi said, causing their eyes to widen.

_"WHAT?!"_

They were going to _throw up?_ What kind of insane sensei had they been assigned with?!

* * *

What'd you think? Review, please! 


	4. Pass or Fail? Kakashi's Final Decision!

Thanks for the reviews! And Random Anonymous, I'll see what I can do about your request. I think I got something brewing in that vacent space you call my head, so who knows?

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I only own Hikaru, Hikari, and any other madeup I decide to put in here.

On with the fic!

* * *

At a training ground not too far off from the village, four ninja graduates met at an ungodly hour in the morning: 5 A.M. 

"Ohayo." Sakura greeted, rubbing her eyes.

"Yo..." Naruto said, still sleepy.

"Mornin'..." Yuffie said, about to pass out.

Sasuke didn't say anything, and he looked fully awake. Yuffie and Naruto growled at this.

_He doesn't even look sleepy! Is he part vampire or somethin'?! _Yuffie thought.

* * *

The four graduates waited...and waited...and waited...Kakashi was late _again. _Yuffie and Naruto took this time to catch up on lost sleep. Sakura sat down, half asleep. 

"He's late again. When he finally comes, I swear..." she grumbled.

"Yo! Good morning." Kakashi greeted.

**_"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?! YOU'RE THREE HOURS LATE!!"_** Naruto, Yuffie, and Sakura shouted in unison.

"Sorry. I would've come earlier as promised, but a black cat crossed my path, and..." Kakashi started.

The four glared at him. Kakashi cleared his throat saying, "Right. Moving on..." He then put an alarm clock on one of the nearby posts.

"It's set for noon," he explained, getting out three bells. "Your task is to try and get these bells from me before noon arrives. If you can't, you don't get lunch. Not only will I tie you to the post, but the kids who retrive the bells and I will eat lunch in front of you."

_WHAT?! So that's why he told us not to eat breakfast..._ The four thought.

"But why are there only three of them?" Sakura asked.

"That way, at least one of you will definitely be tied to a post. He or she fails, and they'll be sent back to the academy. It could be one of you, three of you, or all four." Kakashi replied, causing Naruto's jaw to drop, Sakura's eyes to widen, Yuffie to gulp, and Sasuke to clench his fist.

"As for how you'll get the bells...Anything goes. Shuriken, kunai knives, whatever. You won't be able to get the bells unless you come at me with the will to kill." he finished.

"What?! But you'll be in danger!!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yeah, what kind of sensei are you?" Yuffie asked.

"You couldn't even dodge a stupid eraser! We'll pulverize ya!!" Naruto exclaimed, laughing.

"In what could be called the real world, those with the least talent complain the most. Let's ignore Mr. Dead Last. When I say 'go' you may begin." Kakashi said.

"YOU ARE DEAD!!" Naruto yelled, getting out a kunai and charging at Kakashi.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Seriously, Yuffie blinked and didn't see it.

Kakashi grabbed Naruto's hand from behind him and positioned it so it was up against the back of Naruto's neck.

"Don't be hasty. I didn't say go." he said.

_What the hell?! He's fast!_ Yuffie and Sakura thought at the same time.

"But you did come at me with the intent to kill...I think I'm starting to like you guys." Kakashi decided, letting go of Naruto.

"Ready...steady...GO!"

* * *

_Ninja must know how to blend in with the shadows to hide effectively...At least they know that much. They've hidden well, _he thought, looking around. 

"ALL RIGHT! You and me, let's go!" Naruto shouted.

_What a fool, _Sasuke thought.

_Baka! Even Yuffie knew to hide!_ Sakura thought.

"You know, compared to the other three, you're a bit...off." Kakashi told Naruto.

"The only thing off is your freaky hairstyle!" Naruto snapped, charging after him. Kakashi just stood there, getting something out of his side pocket. Naruto stopped and jumped back.

"Lesson one: Taijutsu." Kakashi said. Naruto growled.

_But that's hand to hand combat! So why is he reaching for a weapon?! _he thought. But it wasn't a weapon he was reaching for. It was...

A book.

An orange book entitled 'Icha Icha Paradise'.

Naruto looked dumbfounded and Yuffie nearly fell off the tree brach she was on.

"What's wrong?" their sensei asked. "Come at me."

"B-But why are you reading a book?!" Naruto said.

"This?" he asked, flipping a page. "Because I'm dying to know what happens next. Dont worry about killing me. With your weak skills, it doesn't matter if I'm reading or sleeping."

Naruto got an anger mark at this. He charged again, yelling, "I'LL PULVERIZE YOU!!" He kept attacking Kakashi, but he dodged every time. When Naruto fired a punch, he stopped: Where was his target?

"Don't show your back constantly," said a voice from behind him.

_Is that the sign of the Tiger he's using? He'll crush Naruto! _Sakura thought.

_That's for a fire type jutsu. So he's not playing around, _Sasuke thought.

Yuffie blanched when she recognized the hand sign. She was about to warn Naruto, but Sakura beat her to it.

"NARUTO, LOOK OUT!" she shouted.

"Too late. Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu!" Kakashi shouted, hitting Naruto in the butt with the hand sign.

"One Thousand Years of** DEATH**!"

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" Naruto screamed as he flew up in the air and landed in the lake.

_What was that? It looked like he poked him in the butt! _Sakura thought.

_Those two are total idiots, _Sasuke thought.

_Must not laugh, must not laugh..._Yuffie chanted in her mind.

Kakashi came back to reading his book. That's when Naruto decided to strike. Two shuriken came from the water. Just when it was about to hit, Kakashi caught them with his two fingers. And he was still laughing over his book!

"You know, if you don't get a bell, you don't get lunch," Kakashi said as Naruto came out of the water, coughing up water.

"I know that already! What, you think I have a short memory?!" Naruto snapped.

"You look wobbly for someone who's going to surpass the Hokage." Kakashi said as Naruto stomach started growling.

"Hey, I would be more into it if you didn't tell us to skip breakfast today!" Naruto snapped.

_Gawd, Naruto, did ya have to say it like that? _Yuffie thought, frowning as her stomach started growling.

_Breakfast?! I didn't even have **dinner** last night! Fine time to be on a diet! _Sakura thought as her stomach started roaring.

Yuffie was so occupied with her growling stomach and how to make it shut up when she heard Naruto yell, "I WILL BECOME A NINJA!"

Naruto used his Shadow Clone Jutsu again. The clones must've hidden in the water while Naruto was complaining.

"Betcha didn't see this coming, Sensei!" The clones exclaimed in unison.

_**Seven** Narutos? He couldn't even make one effective doppelganger! _Sakura thought when she noticed something about all the clones. _What?! They're not illusions! They're distinct flesh and blood bodies! How can he do that?!_

"I'll give you this much: You've got guts." Kakashi said when he felt something grab him from behind. It was Naruto!

"Don't show you back to your opponents, right? Good advice, sensei!" Naruto said.

Yuffie blinked. _Sugoi! He made his clones work together so-_ A jolt of realization hit Yuffie.

_Oh, duh! This is about **teamwork!** I should've known that from the start! Sasuke-teme won't be any help, and Naru's already preoccupied, so I'll pursuade Saku for now,_ she thought, quietly sneaking off.

"Hey, Saku." Yuffie whispered to get her attention.

"Yeah, Kisaragi? What is it?" Sakura asked.

"Listen, there is a way to get the bells, but we have to work together on this." she said, making Sakura's jaw drop.

"What? All four of us against him? We'll..." she started when Yuffie interjected, "Yeah, yeah, Saku. Just waste your time trying to watch and probably fail. You'll be separated from Sasuke." Yuffie said the last sentence in sing-song.

"What kind of plan were you thinking of?" Sakura asked.

"Well, I was thinking of something among the lines of-" Yuffie started when Naruto shouted, "NO WAY! SASUKE, THAT WAS OVERKILL!!"

They looked to see that Naruto was dangling on a rope, and from what they heard, Sasuke had attacked Kakashi with shuriken. The body collided with the floor with a hard, wooden thud.

Wait.

_Wooden_ thud?

"Crap! The Replacement Jutsu." Yuffie cursed under her breath. "We need another-" she started when she saw that she was alone.

_Graah! She probably went to see if Sasuke-teme's alright. I gotta get to her and pursuade Naruto and Uchiha too, _Yuffie thought as she snuck out again.

Yuffie didn't have to look very far, because she heard Sakura scream.

_What the?! _Yuffie thought.

* * *

When Sakura woke up, she instantly saw Yuffie. 

"Yuffie! It was horrible! I saw Sasuke! He was on the verge of-" she couldn't finish her sentence.

Yuffie sighed. Sakura had the best written scores, and her specialty was genjutsu essays. She should've known what happened to her.

"It was a genjutsu. Even I knew that. C'mon. We gotta tell Sasuke and Naruto how to do this." she said. Sakura nodded. "OK," she said as the two girls sped off.

* * *

Sakura then noticed something when the two came into the clearing. It was Sasuke's head, but no body. 

"Sakura? Kisaragi?" Sasuke asked, thinking it might be another of Kakashi's tricks.

"AHHH! Sasuke's a head without a body and it's talking!" Sakura exclaimed, fainting again. Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"Hiya, groundhog," Yuffie said, grinning.

_And these are my partners!_ Sasuke thought.

* * *

Sakura woke up again to see Yuffie and Sasuke, only he wasn't headless. 

"Sasuke...You're alive!" Sakura exclaimed, glomping Sasuke.

"OK, break it up, you two!" Yuffie exclaimed, grinning. Sasuke pried off Sakura.

"Listen, Uchiha," Yuffie started. "I found out a way to get the bells, but the four of us have to work together."

"No way," Sasuke snapped. "I touched one of the bells on my own. Besides, you'll slow me down."

Yuffie growled and grabbed Sasuke's shirt collar.

"Yuffie, what are you doing?!" Sakura snapped.

"OK, listen up, you arrogant jerk! I'll admit that touching one of the bells on your own was pretty impressive, and that you're the best of the class. But! That doesn't mean that we're all inferior to you! Working together and getting those bells is the only way to pass this! But if you want to be a cocky asshole about it, fine! Be that way and get sent back to the Academy for all I care!" she snapped.

Sasuke gave her a glare that would've made Mizuki proud.

Yuffie snapped out of her little anger rant and released the shirt collar, stepping a few feet away from him.

"I'm the only one...who can destroy him." Sasuke said.

"What? Who?" Sakura asked.

"That day...I was crying."

"What?! The emotionless vampire Uchiha _crying?_ When was this?!" Yuffie asked. Sasuke ignored her.

"I'm an avenger! I won't rest until I become stronger than my prey! I need this training so I can kill him!"

Yuffie and Sakura gasped, remembering what he had said yesterday.

_"To restore my clan...And to kill a certain someone."_

RIIIIIIINNNNG!!!

Noon arrived.

"Damn! I shouldn't have wasted this much time!" Sasuke snapped, walking away. Yuffie and Sakura followed.

* * *

The team's stomachs were growling. Naruto was tied to one of the poles. 

"Hungry, are we? Too bad. By the way, about this assignment...You don't have to worry about being sent back to the Academy." Kakashi said.

Naruto, Yuffie, and Sakura grinned at this.

"So, that means we..." Naruto started.

"Yep. All of you are being dropped out of the program. With the surprising exception of Yuffie." Kakashi decided.

"Me?" Yuffie asked, pointing at herself.

"WHAT?! NO WAY! HOW COME YUFFIE PASSED AND NOT THE REST OF US?!" Naruto yelled.

"She told me and Sasuke that we had to work together..." Sakura said, then realization hit her.

"Wait a minute! That's what this whole thing was about, wasn't it?!" she asked.

Kakashi nodded. "You're a little late on the concept, but yeah, pretty much. I'm surprised that Yuffie got it first, too. I assumed she was all action and no strategy." he said, ticking Yuffie off.

"Anyway, the three of you are brats who don't deserve to be ninja." he finished before Yuffie could fume.

Without warning, Sasuke attacked him with a kunai. Kakashi intercepted this attack again and was now sitting on top of him, with his foot on the student's head.

"You three still don't get it! You think being a ninja's a game, do you? Have you ever wondered exactly why they put ninja in squads?" Kakashi asked.

"To...work together?" Sakura asked meekly.

"Exactly! Naruto! You were running around on your own. Sakura, you ignored Naruto, who was right in front of you, and immediately went to Sasuke, who could've been miles away. And you didn't even think about Yuffie until she came up to you and told you about working together. And Sasuke," Kakashi said, pushing Sasuke into the ground with his foot, "You thought everyone was inferior to you and acted on your own."

"Missions are completed in teams. It's true that individual skills are needed, but teamwork is the thin line between a successful mission and a disaster. Selfish actions that destroy teamwork put the teammates in danger and that lead to a disaster. For example..." he continued, getting out a kunai and plaching it to Sasuke's neck.

"Sakura! Kill Naruto or Sasuke dies! Yuffie! You can't let Sakura kill your best friend! So you have to kill her!" he exclaimed. Naruto panicked, looking at Sakura, Yuffie, and back to Sakura again.

"So what? There'll probably be more to replace them," Yuffie blurted, flashing back to when the shadows attacked her world: Everytime one was destroyed, another five would come to replace it. Sakura and Sasuke glared at Yuffie at this.

"Good choice." Kakashi said, letting go of Sasuke.

"The missions are all life-threatening jobs. When a hostage is taken, you're forced to do impossible things. Make sure it doesn't happen. Look at this," he said, pointing at the nearby monumental as Sasuke sat back down.

"All the names carved in that stone are all the ninja in this village we call heroes," he explained.

"Cool! I'm gonna have my name engraved in that stone! I won't die a loser! Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed.

"They're not normal heroes, Naruto."

"Really?! What kind?! What kind?!"

"The dead kind. They were all K.I.A: Killed in Action."

Naruto's face turned from grinning fool to guilty kid in seconds.

"This is a memorial. My best friend's name is carved in here." Kakashi explained softly.

Silence reigned the training grounds.

"I'll give you three one last chance," Kakashi decided. "The people who want to challenge me can eat. But don't feed Naruto."

"WHAT?!" Naruto exclaimed. "WHY?!"

"You brought it upon yourself when you decided to eat alone." Kakashi replied. "And if anyone feeds Naruto they instantly fail. You too, Yuffie."

"WHAT?!"

"It's the rules. Do whatever you want to do, but I strongly suggest you do nothing to make you fail." Kakashi said, disappearing.

* * *

So the three ate. Naruto was still suffering from hunger. Sasuke kept thinking about what Yuffie and Kakashi told him. 

_"I'll admit that touching one of the bells on your own was pretty impressive, and that you're the best of the class. But! That doesn't mean that we're all inferior to you! Working together and getting those bells is the only way to pass this! But if you want to be a cocky asshole about it, fine! Be that way and get sent back to the Academy for all I care!"_

_"You thought everyone was inferior to you and acted on your own."_

After thinking about it and having to hear Naruto's stomach again and again, Sasuke held up the lunch to him.

Sakura nearly chocked. "Sasuke-kun! What are you doing?! You'll get caught!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not worried," Sasuke said, "Besides, Kakashi's probably miles away. We need to work together and get the bells. That's the only way to pass this, right?"

Yuffie grinned. They were finally getting it!

Sakura sighed at this: They were right all along. "Here," she said, holding up her own lunch, "I''m on a diet, so I don't eat as much a Sasuke-kun and Yuffie."

Naruto looked at the three of them and smiled.

"Thanks. You're gonna have to feed me though..."

"Oh, for the love of..."

Then a huge explosion. It was Kakashi!

"You all..." he started.

Yuffie dropped her chocksticks, gaping like a fish.

Naruto flailed.

Sakura screeched.

Sasuke got into a fighting position.

"...pass!" Kakashi finished with a smile.

A breeze went by.

"What?" Sakura finally asked.

"You. Four. Pass." Kakash said, a little slower. "How'd we..." Naruto asked.

"The other squads I was assigned with didn't get it. They did everything I told them to and fell right into my traps. _A ninja must find the hidden meaning within the hidden meaning. _Those who break the rules are scum. But those who can't break the rules for their comrades are even worse than that."

Naruto and Yuffie grinned, Sakura smiled, and Sasuke smirked.

"All of you pass. Missions start tomorrow!" Kakashi said, giving them a thumbs-up.

"YEAH!! I'M A NINJA! NINJA! NINJA!" Naruto chanted.

"We passed!" Sakura exclaimed.

"C'mon, let's go home!" Yuffie said, running towards the village. Everyone followed, except for...

"**I KNEW IT WOULD END UP LIKE THIS!** HEY, LET ME DOWN FROM HERE!!" Naruto yelled after them.

He was eventually let down and the team stuffed their faces at the ramen stand.

The four were official Genin now. None of them could imagine what life had in store for them.

* * *

What'd you think? Review, please! 


	5. The Oath of Pain: Land of Waves or Bust!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I only own Hikaru, Hikari, and any other madeup I decide to put in here.

On with the fic!

* * *

Later that week... 

"This is Sasuke. I've arrived at point B."

"Sakura here. I've arrived at point C"

"This is Yuffie, I got to point D."

"..."

"This is Naruto at point A. Believe it!"

"..."

"I hope Sensei's not doing anything stupid like reading that book." Sasuke said.

A rustling of pages was heard. "Oh, um...You're late, Naruto."

The four Genin were on a mission. Their fifth one, to be exact. Would they be fighting other ninja, or trying to find treasure? Wait and see...

"The target has moved!" Kakashi said to them using walkie talkies. The four started to stalk the unsuspecting target.

"And your distance from the target?" Kakashi asked.

"4 feet and ready for action!" Naruto said.

"Same as Naruto," the others replied.

"Ok...GO!"

The four Genin pounced, getting a surprise attack on the target, which was...A cat?

"Remember, the target has a red bow on his left ear." Kakashi reminded them.

"Target confirmed. We got him," Sasuke said. Sakura and Yuffie watched as Naruto got scratched repeatedly by the cat.

"Ok, Mission: Retrieve Runaway Pet Tora accomplished." Kakashi said.

**_"ISN'T THERE A MORE EXCITING _****_MISSION_****_ WE CAN GO ON?!"_** Yuffie yelled.

**"YEAH! ****AND**** I HATE ****CATS****!!"** Naruto added.

Kakashi mentally groaned. This is the fifth time Yuffie and Naruto complained. At this rate, his hearing would be out in less than a decade.

* * *

"Oh my precious Tora! I thought you'd be gone forever!" the cat's owner exclaimed, squeezing her poor cat to death. 

"Serves the little rascal right!" Naruto said, sniggering.

"With an owner like that, no wonder he ran away." Sakura said. Yuffie snickered at this comment.

"Team Four's next mission is..." Hokage started, reading from a list. "Hmmm...Oh, here it is. Babysitting for Yojyu-sama...Grocery shopping at the neighboring town...Helping Yojyu-sama's wife dig up potatoes..."

" NO WAY!!"

_I knew they would snap, _Kakashi thought as Yuffie and Naruto began to fume.

"No thanks to any of those missions! We're ninja now! Gawd, you'd think we'd have more exciting missions!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"Those missions we had were lame! And I got scratch marks from Tora! Choose something else!!" Naruto added.

_They have a point..._ Sasuke thought.

_Idiots... _Sakura thought.

_With your grades at the Academy, you should be thankful for what you can get! _Kakashi thought.

"You idiots! You may be ninja, but you're still novices! Everyone starts with the easier missions to boost their experience!" Iruka snapped.

"But! Those missions were boring!" Naruto snapped when Kakashi punched him on the back of the head, saying, "I suggest you stop now." At this point, Sakura was having a choke hold on Yuffie.

"Looks like I have to tell you two what the missions actually are." Hokage started, causing Naruto, Sakura to let go of Yuffie, and Yuffie to look up.

"The village receives many requests every day, ranging from babysitting and gardening to assassination and retrieval of missing nin. We take this variety and sort them into groups, A missions being the most dangerous and D being the easiest ones. It all depends on the skill needed for the job. The shinobi are grouped also based on their skill. After the missions are sorted, we give them to the ninja with the most skill in that area. If this said ninja completes his mission successfully, the client pays the ninja. Since you and your teammates have only become Genin, D-level missions are all you can aspire to until you become a Chuunin," Hokage explained.

"OK, yesterday I had beef ramen, so I think I'll have miso today," Naruto said, not paying any attention. Yuffie fell asleep on her feet.

" ARE YOU TWO LISTENING?!" Hokage snapped, waking Yuffie up and making Naruto jump.

"I'm really sorry about those two," Kakashi said as Naruto turned around.

"Gawd! You always lecture us like we're little kids at the Academy!" Yuffie snapped.

"But I'm not a bratty prankster anymore! I'm a ninja now, and I want a real ninja mission!" Naruto snapped, turning around in a huff.

_I'll be scolded for this later, I just know it, _Kakashi thought nervously.

_Pranking may have been their only way to express themselves, but..._ Hokage thought.

"Well, when you put it that way," Hokage said, making Squad Four look up, "I can give you a C-rank mission-Usually reserved for Chuunin. It is the protection of a certain man."

" ALL RIGHT!!" Yuffie cheered.

"So who is it?! The daimyo?! A princess??" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, he said 'certain man'! It can't be a princess if it's a man!" Sakura snapped.

"Calm yourselves. I'll introduce him now." Hokage replied. "You can come in now!" he said to the door. It opened, revealing an old man in a villager's outfit.

"What?! They look like little brats! They can't possibly be ninja! Especially the midget. He has the face of a moron," he said, taking a swig of his sake.

Naruto started to laugh. "Which midget? Who..." he asked when he realized something; He was the shortest in the group. Even Yuffie was about an inch or two taller than him.

"LEMME AT HIM, I'LL KILL HIM!!!" Naruto exclaimed, and he would've done just that if Kakashi hadn't grabbed his collar.

"Wrong. Bodyguard rule number one: No killing the old man you've been assigned to protect," the Jounin said lazily. The old man sighed.

"OK, let's get the introductions over with. I am the bridge builder Tazuna. Until my next bridge-which will be built in my own country-is finished, I expect you to protect my life, even if it costs your own!"

* * *

"WOOHOOOO!!! ROAD TRIP! ROAD TRIP!!" Yuffie and Naruto chanted when they got out of the village. 

"Hey! Am I really placing my life in the hands of these two? They're skipping around, for Kami's sake!" Tazuna exclaimed, pointing at the two.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Yuffie snapped.

"Don't worry. Sakura and Sasuke aren't as," he cleared his throat, looking for the right words, "energetic as those two. I'm a Jounin, and I'm tagging along, too..."

Naruto and Yuffie were ticked off at what Tazuna said.

_This has to be Konoha's worst client ever! _Naruto thought.

"Hey! Don't underestimate ninja! Especially one as great as Uzumaki Naruto! One day I'm gonna be Hokage! Remember it!" Naruto snapped.

"Hokage? You? I'll only believe that when I see it," Tazuna replied, taking another swig of his sake.

"Hey, I'm doing all the right things in record time! When I'm Hokage, you'll wish you were more respectful to me!"

"I doubt I'll be able to respect you if you make Hokage. In fact, the only kid who has lower chances than you are your little friend over here." Tazuna said, pointing his thumb at Yuffie. An anime tick appeared on both their heads.

"YOU ARE DEAD, OLD MAN!!" they snapped. Kakashi grabbed Naruto's shirt collar again and Sakura grabbed Yuffie's arm.

"I thought you heard this when I told Naruto, Yuffie. No killing the old man," Kakashi said.

"Oh, come on! I just wanna punch him!" Yuffie snapped.

* * *

"Oi, old man. You're from the Land of Waves, right?" Sakura asked some time later. 

"So what if I am?" Tazuna asked.

"Aren't there ninjas in the Land of Waves?"

"There aren't," Kakashi replied for him, "Although different countries have different cultures, they usually have hidden villages, and with them, ninja. That's what makes the Land of Waves unique."

Sakura nodded in understanding.

"To the countries in the continent, the existence of a shinobi village means military power," Kakashi continued. "That's how they maintain advantages and alliances with each other. But the villages don't rule the countries. They just stand equally with the countries government. A small island country like the Land of Waves doesn't receive interference from the larger countries often. That's why it doesn't need a shinobi village. Within the many countries that have shinobi villages; Fire, Water, Thunder, Wind and Earth are large and powerful and thus are referred to as The Great Five Shinobi Countries."

"OK, it makes a little more sense..." Yuffie said.

"The main villages in each country are Kirigakure-The Hidden Mist Village-for the Land of Water, Kumogakure-The Hidden Cloud Village- For the Land of Thunder, Sunagakure-The Hidden Sand Village-For the Land of Wind, Iwakagure-The Hidden Stone Village-For the Land of Earth, and as you four know, Konohakagure-The Hidden Leaf Village-For the Land of Fire. The leaders of these villages are in order: Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and our Hokage. They are known as the five Shadows, and they reign over the thousands of ninja that exist throughout the countries of this world," Kakashi concluded.

"Wow, then Hokage-sama must be really powerful!" Sakura exclaimed with a smile.

_I don't see anything great about the old fart. All he does is assign missions and lecture us! _Yuffie thought.

_That's gotta be a lie! The old man fell for my Ninja Centerfold with a more spectacular result than Iruka-sensei! _Naruto thought.

"Hey, you just doubted Hokage-sama, didn't you?" Kakashi asked Naruto, Yuffie, and Sakura.

"No, why would we?" The three nervously said in unison.

"S-So we don't have to worry about encountering foreign shinobi, right?" Sakura asked, trying to change the subject.

"Don't sweat it," Kakashi replied, messing up Sakura's hair, "It's only a C-ranked mission."

Tazuna gulped nervously at this. Sasuke and Yuffie were the only ones who noticed.

* * *

A half hour later, they were still trekking. No surprises there. Truth be told, Yuffie was getting bored. 

Then the group heard chains.

They turned around in time to se Kakashi wrapped in razor chains, thanks to two shinobi. From the headband, Yuffie took a wild stab at it and guessed they were from Kirigakure.

"One down!" One of them said as they pulled the chain, cutting Karachi's body to pieces.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. The ninja disappeared, and in a flash, they were behind Naruto.

"Two down..." The other said as they got ready to kill Naruto.

"Naruto, don't move!" Yuffie yelled, throwing four shuriken at them. Three of them hit their target, while the other hit the chain and lodged it into the tree. Sasuke saw his chance, jumped up and got a kunai out. He threw it at the tree, and it landed in the hole of the shuriken, putting the chain in place. He then landed, grabbed their wrists and kicked them in the face. That destroyed the chain and the two Mist shinobi (A/N: Let's call them Akio and Hiro, for the hell of it!) split up. Hiro went for Naruto, and Akio went for Tazuna. Yuffie and Sakura went into position to protect Tazuna. When Akio was about to strike, Sasuke came in and...

The two Mist shinobi were both apprehended by Kakashi.

"Yo," he drawled.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Wait, but...how?" Yuffie asked, looking at where Kakashi was last, but only saw pieces of wood.

_The Replacement Jutsu..._ she thought.

"Good job, Sakura, Yuffie, and Sasuke. Nice teamwork. Sorry for not coming earlier, Naruto," Kakashi said, "I didn't think you would choke."

Naruto groaned at this. _I couldn't do anything, _he thought. _But that was all of our first battles! Not even Yuf froze! _

"Hey, you're not hurt, are you," Sasuke said, "Scaredy-cat?"

Naruto was about to snap when Kakashi said, "Naruto, don't move. Their claws had poison in them. Try not to move too much." It was then that Yuffie noticed that Naruto had been scratched on the back of his hand.

"We have to open the wound and take out the poisoned blood as soon as possible," she said.

"Tazuna!" Kakashi said.

"What is it?" he asked nervously.

"I want to talk to you."

* * *

"Those two were Chuunin from the Mist Village. They've been known to continue fighting, no matter what," Kakashi explained to the group after he tied Akio and Hiro to a tree. 

"How did you know we were coming?!" Hiro snapped.

"It hasn't rained for days, so there shouldn't have been a puddle," Kakashi replied.

"If you knew that," Tazuna asked, "why did you let those four fight them?"

"If it were up to me, I would've killed them on the spot. But I wanted to know who their target was."

Tazuna was worried about this. "W-What do you mean?" he stammered.

"In other words, was it you they were after, or one of us ninja? You didn't mention anything about Mist shinobi after you. You only mentioned protection from gangs and robbers. We were supposed to protect you until you finished the bridge. But if there are ninja involved, this should be a B-rank mission, at best. You probably didn't afford to put up a B-rank mission, but it only gets us into trouble if you lie about your request details. This isn't part of the mission," Kakashi replied.

"We should quit. This mission is out of our league. Besides, we need to help Naruto about his injury. We have to go back and see a doctor for that!" Sakura suggested.

"For once, I agree with Saku." Yuffie said.

Naruto's head shot up at this.

"I guess it can't be helped," Kakashi said, "We go back to the village, heal Naruto, and possibly get some Chuunin for the mission."

Naruto gritted his teeth at this. Their first real mission was going to flop, and it was all thanks to him! Without thinking, he took out a kunai and stabbed the back of his poisoned hand with it, causing everyone's eyes to widen.

_Why am I so different?! Dammit! I hate not fitting in! _He thought as the kunai dug deeper into his hand.

"Naruto, what are you doing?!" Sakura and Yuffie exclaimed in unison.

_I should be stronger by now! I've accomplished missions and praticed techniques day and night! _He thought.

They could only stare wide-eyes at Naruto as he made three vows to himself.

_I won't let anyone protect me anymore. I won't be frightened and back away. And I will never let Sasuke upstage me like that! I promise that by the pain in my left hand, _the thought, turning around.

"I will protect the old man. The mission is still on!" he said.

* * *

"Naruto," Kakashi said a few seconds later, "That was a particularly good way to get rid of the poison, but if you lose more blood than you need, you'll die. I'm serious." 

Silence reigned the field. Then Naruto started to flail. "No way! I won't let it end this way!"

"Give me your hand," Kakashi said, sighing.

"Geez, Naruto! Are you masochist or something?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi blinked when he saw his hand. Instead of an angry gash like he expected, the injury was nothing more than a little boo-boo. The wound was healing fast!

_I should've known. The Nine-Tailed Fox is doing this..._ he thought.

Naruto began to sweat nervously. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei? I'm gonna be OK, right?" he asked.

Kakashi started to wrap the injury. "Yeah. You'll live, Naruto." he said.

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

"What do you mean they failed?!"

We see a hideout, full of Mist Ninja. The only one who wasn't a shinobi was a short man with glasses, a suit, and two bodyguards. He was Gato, head of Gato Shipping and Transport and ruler of the Land of Waves.

"I hired you guys because I heard you were all skilled!" he snapped.

"Stop complaining," one of the Mist Shinobi said, pointing his huge sword at Gato's neck.

"I'll use this neck-cleaving 'knife' and kill the old man myself," he said.

"You sure? Because the old man hired Leaf shinobi! And now that the Demon Brothers have tried and failed, they'll be on their guard the whole way through!" Gato said.

"Remember who you're talking to!" the Shinobi snapped. "I am Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist Village!"

* * *

What'd you think? Review, please! 


	6. Explanation! Tazuna Reveals the Truth!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I only own Hikaru, Hikari, and any other madeup I decide to put in here.

A question: Since I made four in a squad in the Leaf Village in this fic, should I do the same thing for the other teams in each village? Because you know that after the Bridge Builder mission there's the Chuunin exams, so I wanted to ask.

Please enjoy!

* * *

"...Hey, are we there yet?" 

"No."

"How 'bout now?"

"No, Kisaragi."

After the whole fight with the two Mist Ninja, the four decided to get a move on, seeing as they were pretty much blackmailed. Right now the four were on a boat, and Yuffie and Naruto were, needless to say, bored. Oh, you want to know _how_ they were blackmailed?

* * *

_"Oi, old man. Who exactly is trying to kill you? I mean, those two were ninja, right? So they should've been paid to do this, right?" Naruto asked. Tazuna sighed at the Uzumaki's questioning. _

_"If I tell you guys, you think you'll shut up?" he asked. Naruto nodded._

_"OK, you guys deserve to know. I was going to tell you right after the attack, anyways. A very dangerous man is after my life." he continued._

_"Who?" Sakura asked._

_"You may have heard of him at least once," Tazuna said to Kakashi. "A very wealthy shipping magnate. His name's Gato." Kakashi's visible eye widened._

_"What?! The head_ _of Gato Shipping and Transport?! **That** Gato?!"_

_Tazuna nodded. "Officially he's the head of that company. What most people don't know is that he sells drugs and various other illegal items using foreign ninja to take over other businesses. He's both a terrorist and a tyrant in a suit." _

_"Doesn't sound too good for you..." Yuffie commented._

_"It doesn't," Tazuna said. "About a year ago, Gato set his sights on the Land of Waves. He instantly took control of the shipping industry there using threats. He controls the shipping routes, which are the life of an already small town. Because of that, he has a smooth monopoly of business traffic. The only thing stopping it is..."_

_"The only thing stopping him is the completion of the bridge, isn't it?" Kakashi asked. Tazuna nodded._

_"So what now? Naruto may be poison-free, but that doesn't stop the fact that this mission is way out of our league," Sakura said._

_"I see...Well, if I die, my cute grandson will drown in his tears! And my daughter'll probably hate the Konoha ninja for the rest of her life! But hell! Don't worry about an old geezer like me!" Tazuna lamented._

_Everyone except for him sweatdropped. _

_He may be one of the worst Konoha clients, but I'll give him this much: he's good at blackmailing, they thought in unison._

* * *

"Are we there yet now?" Naruto whined. 

"Naruto, we just got on the boat." Sasuke replied.

"Yeah, and if I hear that question from either one of you, I'll wring your necks!" Sakura snapped.

Soon they saw the bridge. Yuffie's jaw dropped.

"Oh gawd! It's HUGE!!" she exclaimed. The person rowing the boat (whom we shall call Ryoji) glared at her.

"Hey, be quiet, kid! We gotta make sure nobody hears us coming in! We'll be in real trouble if Gato's guards catch us." he snapped.

Yuffie and Naruto looked ahead in anticipation. It's worth mentioning that this is the first time any of the Genin have been outside the village.

"Tazuna, so far it looks like we've been overlooked," Ryoji said to Tazuna, "but just to be safe we're taking an inland waterway through town up to the point where we can make landfall under the mangroves."

"Thanks." Tazuna said.

* * *

When they got to the dock, everyone but Ryoji got off. 

"That is as far as I dare go," Ryoji said, "Bye and good luck."

"Thanks for taking this risk. I really shouldn't have asked, Ryoji." Tazuna replied.

"Don't mention it." Ryoji replied, starting the motor and sailing off. The group started to walk towards the forest.

Kakashi sighed. Gato probably knew that the Konoha ninjas were aware of the situation. So he would probably send not another Chuunin, but a Jounin-level ninja. How could this be worse?!

"OVER THERE!!"

...Spoke too soon.

Naruto had thrown a star at a random bush. Everything was silent for a minute.

"It must've been a mouse..." Naruto said, trying to act cool.

"Baka! What the hell are you _doing_, scaring us like that?! Are you out of your mind?!" Sakura snapped.

Kakashi sweatdropped, saying, "Naruto, try not to throw those around. They can be a little dangerous."

"Hey, chibi! You shouldn't be scaring us like that! Stop messing with our heads!" Tazuna snapped.

Naruto, being the stubborn mule he is, kept looking around for someone - or something - to pop up.

_Rustle._

"THERE!" Yuffie yelled, throwing a kunai at a tree.

"YUFFIE, YOU IDIOT!" Sakura snapped, trying to choke Yuffie.

"But Saaaakuuuu! There really was something there!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"Stop lying!" Sakura snapped.

"But I'm not!"

Kakashi checked the area where Yuffie's kunai hit. As it turned out, there _was_ a something there: a small, passed out, _white _snow rabbit. And the kunai was just about his head.

"Now look what you did!" Sakura snapped. Yuffie didn't listen, for she was trying to revive the rabbit, alongside Naruto.

"It was just a rabbit?!" Tazuna exclaimed.

This got Kakashi to thinking. That was a snow hare. When it's spring, like it is now, their pelt is usually brown. However, this rabbit's pelt was white, like it is when it's winter. The only possible explanation for this was that it was kept indoors as a pet, or for training usage. He then heard something.

"EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" he yelled, well...taking cover. The others did the same, and it was a good thing they did, too, because if they didn't, they would have been sliced in half. Why? A huge sword was flying their way. It lodged itself into the nearby tree.

_What the hell was that?! _Yuffie thought.

Then someone appeared in an instant, standing on the sword as if it were a branch.

_That looks like..._Kakashi thought.

Naruto grinned, thinking, _Yess! Here's my big chance! I won't let Sasuke-teme outdo me this time! _

"Well, well! If it isn't Momochi Zabuza. The kid who ran from the Hidden Mist village!" Kakashi exclaimed.

Naruto was about to charge when Kakashi blocked his with his hand.

"Don't even think about taking him on," he said, "He's a Jounin, on a completely different level than those Demon Brothers. Better let me handle him."

While he was talking, his hand drifted towards his headband.

"And if I have to face him, it has to be like this. It may get rough," he added as he grabbed the headband.

If Zabuza's face was visible, the Genin would guess he was smirking.

"Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye, I presume? You can make it easier on yourself if you just surrender the old man peacefully." he said.

The Genin were struck speechless at what he said.

_Sharingan? What the heck is that?!_ Naruto thought.

_What's a Sharingan? Is that like a super power or a secret weapon?_ Yuffie thought.

Sakura just looked on in confusion, but she was thinking the same thing as Naruto and Yuffie.

The one who was most surprised, however, was Sasuke.

_Sharingan...The Mirror-Wheel eye?!_ he thought.

"Guys, assume the Manji Battle Formation! Protect the bridgebuilder at all costs! And whatever you do, stay out of the fight! This is the kind of teamwork this mission requires." Kakashi ordered. And without another word, he lifted his headband, revealing his right eye. It was blood red, with three black comma-like symbols.

"And now, Zabuza...Shall we?!"

* * *

What'd you think? Please review! 


	7. Oath of Pain Reprise: Zabuza Appears!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I only own Hikaru, Hikari, and any other madeup I decide to put in here.

Urgent note: Something of the utmost importance has been brought to my attention: pairings. More specifically, who Yuffie ends up with. I was kinda thinking Naruto, but it could just as easily be someone else. I dunno. But it probably won't be Sasuke, 'cause there are a lot of Sasuke/Yuffie fics out there. So...meh. So either it's YuffieNaruto, Yuffie/Someone else, or maybe no pairings at all.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Things have been really crazy, so...meh.

Please enjoy!

* * *

Almost everything was deathly still.

_What the heck's up with his eye? _Yuffie thought. Zabuza was the first to speak.

"To face the legendary 'Mirror-Wheel' eye so early in our aquantance...This is truly an honor," he said. Naruto, not able to hold his questions in anymore, asked, "Hey, hey! You guys keep calling it a mirror-wheel eye, a Sharingan...But what the heck is it?!"

"The shinobi who have the Sharingan eye have mastered a very special type of ocular jutsu," Sasuke explained, "It allows them to see the reality behind any ninjutsu or genjustu and reflect the same jutsu on those who cast it."

Yuffie did a decending whistle, saying, "Sounds like a heck of an ability to have!"

"And there's more..." Sasuke said, to which Naruto replied, "Like what?"

"He's done his homework," Zabuza said, cutting Sasuke off. "The most formidiable ability of the Sharingan users is that they can copy their opponent's strongest skill."

"When I was an assassin for Kirigakure, I was given the usual bingo booklet that explains who our enemies are. It had quite a lot to say about you," he continued, saying this to Kakashi. "It's included in your record...The ninja who had copied a over a thousand different jutsu...Kakashi the Copy-Cat Ninja."

_Wow...Are sensei and the rest of the Jounin that amazing too? And the Hokage? _Sakura thought.

_What I was about to say was that the Sharingan is suposed to be unique only to specific members of the Uchiha clan...my clan. So how did he...? _Sasuke thought, glancing at Kakashi.

"But I digress," Zabuza said, "I do have to kill the old man."

Yuffie and the other Genin surrounded Tazuna using the Manji formation just as Zabuza disappeared from his branch and reappeared in the water. He performed some hand signs.

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!" he shouted as a thick mist started to form. Soon it was so thick none of them could see their hands in front of their faces.

"Where'd he go?!" Sakura asked.

_He'll come after me first, _Kakashi thought. _As a member of the Hidden Mist Village, Zabuza is an expert at the silent killing. _

"You guys be careful. Even I can't use the Sharingan perfectly," he said to his students. The four tensed at this statement. Then they heard a chuckling.

"There he is!" Naruto yelled.

_"Did you know that there are eight points at which I could land a killing blow? The liver, the lungs, the spine, the clavical vein, the jugular vein, the brain, the kidneys, and the heart," _Zabuza's voice echoed through the mist.

_"Which one should I go for first?" _he continued, causing the Genin and Tazuna to gulp.

Everything was deathly still after that. So deathly still, in fact, that even Sasuke felt the pressure.

_The chakra level in this area is huge! It almost feels like I could be killed if I so much as breathe!_ _This intensity...It's choking me! I'd rather die now and get it over with! _He thought, tightening the grip on his knife.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi called over the mist. Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts in an instant.

"Don't worry," Kakashi continued. "I'll protect you guys even if it's the last thing I do. I never let my comrades die!" He turned his head towards his team.

All four of the Genin smiled in relief.

_"Let's see about that!" _

In a flash, Zabuza infiltrated the formation the Genin was in.

"It's over!" he sneered, about the strike when Kakashi stabbed him with a kunai knife. Another split second of silence and Zabuza began bleeding...water?

"SENSEI, BEHIND YOU!" Naruto yelled as the real Zabuza snuck behind Kakashi. But it was too late as Zabuza sliced Kakashi in half.

At least, that's what it appeared to be until Kakashi's body became a puddle of water. Zabuza's eyed widened at this.

_What?! He coped my jutsu even in this mist?! _he thought when he felt a sharp point on his neck. Kakashi was behind him and looked about ready to slit Zabuza's throat.

"Way to go, Sensei!" Naruto cheered as Yuffie did a little victory dance.

"Impressive, Kakashi," Zabuza admitted, "You already copied my Water Clone Jutsu and made your clone say those words to lure me out, while you were waiting in the mist. Very clever_...But I'm not that easy to fool!"_

The Zabuza Kakashi held hostage turned into a puddle of water!

"No way!" Yuffie exclaimed. Then the two Jounin got into a taijutsu fight that was too fast to the Genin to even see. Eventually Kakashi got knocked down into the water, but he managed to throw makibishi onto the ground before he hit the water. That stopped Zabuza from advancing.

When Kakashi surfaced, her ntoiced something...different about the water.

_Why's the water so heavy?_ he thought. Zabuza sneaked up from behind him.

"Fool," he muttered, performing a few hand signs. Kakashi paled upon realizing what that meant.

"_Water Prison no Justu!_" Zabuza recited as a ball of water began to surround Kakashi and trap him.

The four Genin gaped at the scene. They hadn't fathomed that their sensei could be caught like that. Before they knew it, Zabuza had conjured up another Water Clone.

"I'm about to teach you brats that just because you wear forehead protectors doesn't mean you're real ninja. No, a real ninja has had numerous brushes with death, so many that the meaning of the word holds no fear for them," the clone said, disappearing.

"Where'd he go?!" Naruto exclaimed. He soon got his answer, for the clone instantly kicked him in the stomach, sending the Genin flying and causing his headband to fly off.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Everyone, take Tazuna and go!" Kakashi ordered. The Genin could only gape at what he had said.

"The Water Clone won't go very far from his body, and as long as he's keeping me here, he can't move! Just run!" he continued.

Naruto, however, was in a daze.

_If I don't run now, he'll really kill me! _he thought. He got up to run...

When he felt a sharp pain in his left hand.

He looked at the bandaged injury on his hand. Then he remembered.

_I won't let anyone protect me anymore! _

He had made an oath.

_I won't be frightened and back away._

An oath that is written by blood...

_I will **never** let Sasuke upstage me! _

An Oath of Pain.

Naruto remembered all the times he was shunned, rejected, mocked by the rest of the village.

He remembered meeting Yuffie on the swing, when the two pranksters had ramen with Iruka, Kakashi's test...everything.

_That's right. I became a ninja so I wouldn't have to run. So I can prove everyone back at home wrong! _he thought.

Then he charged at the water clone.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Sakura and Yuffie exclaimed in unison. The water clone smirked before kicking Naruto, sending him flying towards his three teammates.

"Naruto, you're so reckless! Running in like that..." Sakura started when Yuffie noticed something in Naruto's hand.

"Your headband? That's what you wanted to get?" she asked.

Not replying, Naruto got up and faced Zabuza.

"Hey, Eyebrowless Freak. Put this into your bingo book. The one who will one day be Hokage...Uzumaki Naruto! " he exclaimed, putting his headband on.

Yuffie was, to put it simply, surprised. She had never seen her best friend this serious before.

_Naruto..._Kakashi thought.

_I guess the midget's not as useless as I thought, _Tazuna thought.

"All right, Sasuke! Listen up! I have a plan. You're in on it too, Yuf!" Naruto said. Yuffie nodded and Sasuke smirked.

"Teamwork from you now? In this situation?" he asked.

Sakura was surprised. Was this really the clumsy, hyperactive knucklehead she knew from the Academy? When did he become so...cool?

"Now...Let's rock and roll!"

* * *

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